The present invention pertains to a technique that moves gas from a one point to another point. Furthermore, the present invention includes a technique supplying external fresh gas to a point or resupplying gas that has been moved from another point to the original point.
Generally, to transfer gas (or change the position of the gas), a pressure difference between the original position and a target position is needed. Energy is required to form a pressure difference. Required energy is classified into mechanical energy and thermal energy.
Compressors are a representative example of an apparatus using mechanical energy to transfer gas. Compressors are an apparatus compressing gas and increasing the pressure of gas and are classified into a positive displacement compressor and a dynamic compressor.
The positive displacement compressor uses a cylinder and is mainly used when high output pressure is required. The dynamic compressor uses an impeller and is mainly used when high output flow rate is required.
In such compressors, the amount of drive energy is determined depending on a difference between pressures generated in an inlet end and an outlet end. As a pressure drop in an input part is reduced and a pressure increase in an output part is reduced, consumption of the drive energy is reduced.
To achieve the above purpose, a variety of methods have been introduced. As known to date, although most compressors can be designed such that a large amount of air can be transferred without excessively increasing the pressure of the output part, it is very difficult to reduce a pressure drop in the input part.
Furthermore, because the temperature of gas in the output part is very high, it is required to reduce the temperature of compressed gas so that a larger amount of gas can be stored in a limited space.
Therefore, most existing compressors have very complex structures and are relatively large. In addition, energy consumption is markedly increased because the power required to compress gas is high.
Moreover, there is a problem in that considerable vibration or noise is caused when the cylinder of the positive displacement compressor or the impeller of the dynamic compressor is operated.
In an effort to overcome the above problems, a technique was proposed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0416942, entitled “GAS COMPRESSION SYSTEM.” This conventional technique is designed to reduce vibration or noise and enhance cooling effects. However, the conventional technique cannot satisfactorily solve the problem of vibration or noise because a rotary compression method using a motor is used. Moreover, the problems of a complex structure and large size remain.
Meanwhile, compressors provided in refrigerators or the like use refrigerant to reduce the temperature in the refrigerators. That is, the compressors are used for heat transfer.
However, such a compressor also has a problem of vibration or noise being caused by the operation of a motor of the compressor.
Heat pipes are an example of the technique using thermal energy to transfer gas. The heat pipes do not require a separate drive device and are able to transfer heat only using their own structural characteristics.
However, heat pipes are problematic because there are many limitations in determining the length and the internal shape and configuration thereof due to the structural characteristics required for heat transfer. Consequently, conventional heat pipes can be used only in specific fields or products.